| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
The1909 Los Angeles mayoral special election took place on March 26, 1909, following therecall attempt of incumbentArthur Cyprian Harper.[1]George Alexander was elected overFred C. Wheeler by a small plurality.[2] It was the first election "ever held in any American city for the recall of a mayor."[3] It was also the first election held after the charter amendment that institutednonpartisan elections and made the office of Mayor nonpartisan.[4]
Facing a recall election, incumbentDemocratic mayorArthur Cyprian Harper was forced to resign due to dishonesty that marked his administration. Because of his resignation,Republican politicianWilliam Stephens, who had been picked as Harper's opponent, was named acting mayor of Los Angeles while campaigning was going on, which lasted less than two weeks.[5]
Two candidates participated, Republican candidateGeorge Alexander andSocialist politicianFred C. Wheeler. Wheeler had been denied ballot access because his candidacy had allegedly not followed regulations of the city before the ruling was overturned by a judicial appeal.[6][7]
Wheeler lost toGeorge Alexander by a small plurality of 1,650 votes, with theAssociated Press reporting that the vote for Wheeler was a "great surprise".[8][9] Alexander filled the unexpired term of Harper, which lasted until November 1909.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Alexander | 14,043 | 53.23 | |
| Fred C. Wheeler | 12,341 | 46.78 | |
| Total votes | 26,384 | 100.00 | |
| City Council |  | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Departments | |||||||
| Elections |
| ||||||
| Officials |
| ||||||
| School Districts |
| ||||||
Elections and referendums in Los Angeles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mayoral | | |
| City Attorney | ||
| Referendums |
| |
